The term reconstruction refers to the years from 1865 to 1877 when the American people reestablished the Southern states as an integral part of the Union. Below is a PowerPoint on Reconstruction.
Five days after the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln publicized the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that the abolition of slavery had become one of the North’s main goals. The proclamation was intended to preserve the union and also gave hope to all African Americans. Although the proclamation stated the Union’s goals, it did not emancipate the slaves and abolish slavery all together. Slavery was only forbidden in the Confederacy states, also known as the rebel states. Slavery was still permitted in the bordering states because Abraham Lincoln wanted to keep the boarder states in the Union. Some thought of the Emancipation Proclamation as a military tactic, working to the advantage of the union’s military by providing new African American troops and creating labor shortages in the confederacy.
President Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln could not proclaim the emancipation of slaves on a wider scale because he was afraid that it would cause greater conflict and ultimately not save the Union. Lincoln was afraid that if the reconstruction policy was too strict on the Confederacy, it would disunite the southern states and not preserve the Union. Although there was no way to enforce the emancipation proclamation in the Confederacy and only a few African Americans were directly freed, it was an important advancement towards the future abolition of slavery. It issued slaves in the South to rebel and run away, causing chaos within the Confederacy. This proclamation made the Civil War about slavery. As soon as the main issue of the Civil War was proclaimed slavery, England stopped helping the South because they did not want to be involved in the dispute over slavery between the Confederacy and Union. Abolitionists were upset that the proclamation did not completely emancipate the entire country and was made for the benefits of the military as opposed to moral values. Still, African Americans, including Frederick Douglass, celebrated in better hopes of their freedom. The Emancipation united the Republican party and increased the chances of war, but a war to transform the confederacy and ultimately strengthen the Union.
Lincoln's 10% Plan: At the time of the Reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States. Lincoln devised the first policy of the Reconstruction in December 1863, which was called the 10% Percent Plan. This policy allowed the southern states, that had previously ceded from the Union, to come back into the Union. However, the conditions of the policy consisted of 1/10th of each southern state's voters had to take an oath of loyalty to remain a part of the Union. The policy also stated that once the state was readmitted, states had to reform their own governments. Secondly, states were required to abolish slavery.
The significance of Lincoln's 10% Plan was to bring the nation back together as a whole. Lincoln believed that this policy would quicken the process of reuniting the Union and put an end to the fighting between the northern and southern states. This also signified Lincoln's side on whether states or individuals had left the Union. According to this policy, Lincoln believed that it was the individuals. However, Lincoln's policy was rejected because of the Wade-Davis Bill, and Lincoln was assassinated before he could fight for his policy.
Wade-Davis Bill The Wade-Davis Bill appeared when the Government started to think about the reconstruction. It was proposed by Senator Benjamin F.Wade and Representative Henry Winter Davis in February 1864,and what it basically sustained was that 50 percent of a state’s white male population took a loyalty oath to be readmitted to the Union. This bill also mentioned that every state had the obligation to give the african-americans right to participate in the elections since now on. The Wade-Davis bill passed Congress. Finally, this bill was going to be another big step towards the reconstruction and the equality between whites and african-americans, but President Lincoln rejected it with a pocket veto.
Wade-Davis Bill is important in the U.S history because the President called a veto on it. This act surprised Senator Wade, what generated on him furiousness and a feeling of disagreement. As hist orian Hans L. Trefousse wrote: “...these considerations did not mollify Wade. Together with his associates, he considered the President's action an affront.” and some states started to think that Lincoln’s act was made for his personal ambition, but indeed, Wade-Davis Bill was one of the most radical and bold purposes ever passed through Congress.
Lincoln's Assassination: On April 14, 1865, just five days after the surrender of the Confederate's leading commander, Robert E. Lee, President Abraham Lincoln was shot. A known Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, shot Lincoln as he was watching a play with his wife.. Lincoln's death had a deep and profound effect on the North, and more importantly the country as a whole. He had been the first President to ever be assassinated while in office. Nine hours after the shooting, at 7:22 A.M, on April 15, the President succumbed to his injuries and died. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was shot to death by federal authorities after they found him hiding out in a barn, in Bowling Green, Virginia.
The North was devastated that their distinguished and battle tested leader had fallen, when peace was near. Their joy culminating from the end of the war was soon eclipsed by the devastating news that swept the county. Southerners, contrary to belief, also took part in the mourning. Although some still despised Lincoln for his vision and views on race, many saw Lincoln as one of the most compassionate and fair leaders the North had to offer. His death was not only a blow to both the North and South but also to the Reconstruction process as a whole. His death also affected the newly freed slaves who viewed Lincoln as a savior. He was the person who had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively freeing them. Four days after Lincoln's death, the only substantial Confederate force remaining, under the command of Joseph E. Johnston, surrendered. The union was saved, at the expense of their leader who would go on to be considered one of the greatest presidents to ever hold office. Obituary of Lincoln Overview of Event The Freedmen's Bureau: The Freedmen’s Bureau is also known as The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. The Bureau was established in the War Department by the outcome of an act on March, 3, 1865 and lasted until 1872. The Bureau was able to help over 4,000,000 freed slaves make the transition from slavery to the life of a free man. The bureau had two main goals. The first main goal was to supervise all relief and educational activities relating to the refugees and freedmen. This included issuing rations, clothing and medicine for the refugees and former slaves. The Freedmen’s Bureau also took custody of impounded lands or property in the former Confederate states, Border States, District of Columbia, and Indian Territory. The records were kept track by the Bureau headquarters and assistant commissioners. The state superintendants of education kept personal records and multiple reports concerning the Bureau programs and conditions in the states. The Freedmen’s Bureau was especially important to the reconstruction of the United States post Civil War because it gave the freed slave and refugees a source of education provided by the federal government. The first African American school systems were also set up by the Freedmen’s Bureau. Education is a major step in creating equality between the white people and the black people in the United States during this time period. Also, the programs were centered towards ex slaves, African Americans, and Southern white refugees, which created hope for the recently freedmen. The Freedmen’s Bureau was terminated seven years after its launch in 1865 because Congress was receiving pressure from the white Southerners. Although the Blacks had equal rights, they were still being treated with disrespect. By terminating the Freedmen's Bureau just seven years after it was created showed the lack of dedication and commitment that they had toward reconstruction in the South. It showed that they initially wanted to help the freedmen, but after seven years the government decidied it was costing them too much money.
The 13th Amendment On January 31, 1865 the 13th amendment was proposed after it had been ratified by all the northern states and eight of the eleven southern states. The 13th amendment was the amendment to the United States Constitution that banned slavery within the states. The only exception for this amendment was that if a person was convicted of a crime by a judge and jury, they were allowed to be punished with slavery or involuntary servitude. The 13th amendment was ratified 309 days after it was passed by congress on December 6, 1865.
The 13th amendment was passed after the end of the Civil War to finalize the idea that the United States of America would be slave free. Every man, no matter their color, would be able to live a free life and not have to worry about being controlled by a man who, because of his color, thought that he was better than another.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Scalawags and Carpetbaggers were white men who supported the federal reconstruction. A scalawag was a derogatory saying towards the white southerners that supported the reconstruction and cooperated with blacks to reach the goal. Some of the scalawags were people that opposed the confederacy in the first place. A carpetbagger was a person from the north that moved south during the reconstruction so that they could make money. The carpetbaggers controlled the governments in the south. The name carpetbagger comes from the cloth bag that a lot of them carried their stuff in. both scalawags and carpetbaggers were hated by a lot of the south and became targets of the Ku Klux Klan.
Scalawags and carpetbaggers made the south even more hostile than it already was. People from the south felt betrayed by the scalawags and felt like they did not know what it meant to be from the south. The carpetbaggers were looked at like they were intruding on the south and trying to take control even though they were from the north. Both groups were hated in the south.
The Black Codes were laws unofficially enforced in the United States that limited African Americans to basic rights and liberties. The Black Codes refer mainly to the rules passed by the Southern states at the end of The Civil War to watch over the labor, migration and everything else the newly freed slaves were doing. One of the codes the Southerners created was The Penal Code of 1856. This stated that all individuals with one eighth or more African blood were then defined as a person of color. The Black Codes essentially were re-establishing the laws that were in place before the Civil War.
The Black Codes main purpose was to re-enforce the slaves original inferior position and also regulate the blacks labor all over the South. The Black Codes clearly showed that Southerners were completely unwilling to accept blacks with the same equal rights as themselves. Southerners also feared the newly freed slaves wouldn't work for them unless they were pressured in doing so. This shows that even after the Civil War, Southerners were not willing to accept African Americans as free men.
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan was an extreme threat to Southern Republic regimes during 1868 to 1872. The Ku Klux Klan, also referred to as the “KKK”, was a secret society created to revitalize the belief of white supremacy. Members of the Ku Klux Klan were driven by motives to threaten all blacks who intended on voicing their political creeds. The Ku Klux Klan not only verbally alarmed black men who took any initiative in voting, but they physically abused them, in which some instances were fatal. The KKK served to attenuate the authority of the Republican Party. Members of the Ku Klux Klan were coerced by other social classes of white race. From 1865 to 1877, also known as the era of reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan, a pro-segregation society, targeted other colors of the human race with violence. The era of reconstruction focused mainly on uniting the country, and putting an end to segregation. The Ku Klux Klan was against this act of reconfiguration.
KKK members participating in a ritual where they would burn crosses, usually in the yards of African Americans to scare them and make it clear that they were not wanted, especially in the South
After the civil war and during the reconstruction of the south, members of the Ku Klux Klan united in order to refurbish white supremacy, and to enhance the authority of the Democratic Party. The significance of the Ku Klux Klan was to impose violence upon other colors of the human race in order to subvert their political and social advancement. Members of the KKK coveted to sustain the credence of white supremacy. The Ku Klux Klan caused thousands of casualties during the era of reconstruction, and in result succeeded in undermining the values and beliefs of the black race. Information on Ku Klux Klan (secondary source) Boy Beaten by KKK (Primary source)
1866
Civil Rights Act
Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on April 9th, 1866, over the veto of President Andrew Johnson. The Civil Rights Act stated that all people that were born into the United States were now citizens of the country. Disregarding their race, color, or what social class they were in before. This Civil Rights Act is intended to show equality between the blacks and the whites. Now that the blacks are citizens of the United States, they have federal privileges such as the right to sue someone or be sued, buy and sell their own property, inherit money or personal items, and give evidence in court. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 wanted to make sure that the people, regardless of race, color, or background, were all treated equally. If people of the United States denied and ignored these rights to former slaves, they would be placed upon conviction, fined for at most 1,000 dollars, and be placed in prison for no longer than a year. Some whites thought that this was a bad idea. The Ku Klux Klan was completely against the Civil Rights Act of 1866 because they had no intention of helping and supporting black rights.
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 didn’t help the years of reconstruction for the United States. This act made the anti-blacks more frustrated than before because now the blacks actually had a say in what could happen in the government. The Civil Rights movement divided the blacks and whites even more than before, the opposite of it's intention. The whites wanted nothing to do with the blacks because the government was trying to make them just as equal as the whites, by giving them as many rights as the white man has. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave the blacks more power which caused the whites to fear that the blacks would be able to take over or even have more power than the whites.
1867 Tenure of Office Act The Tenure of Office Act was passed by congress and was specifically guided to control President Andrew Johnson. This act helped to control him because it would not let him terminate the positions of the officeholders, thus replacing them with ones that he supported. This act was when the president of the United States was not able to fire anyone from their position without the approval from the Senate. The act did not allow the president to suspend an official when the senate was not in session. However, when the Senate came back in session and disagreed with the decision the president has made then the official was put back in their position. The Tenure of Office Act Bill was introduced by George Williams of Oregon on December 3, 1866 to the senate. This was passed over the veto of President Andrew Johnson on March 2, 1867. Andrew Johnson believed that this act was unconstitutional, saying that U.S. Constitution states that the president holds the power to terminate any official of their position without the consent of the Senate. There was some confusion as to whether this act applied to cabinet officials that were appointed by a previous president. It was then proposed by Senator John Sherman of Ohio that cabinet members were to hold office during the term of the president who appointed them. Cabinet members were given an extra month and were to be removed only by the consent of the Senate. Andrew Johnson, the vice president who took over Lincoln’s position after he was assassinated, decided that Edwin Stanton needed to be replaced as the secretary of war in 1867. Edwin Stanton refused to sign the letter that Johnson had sent him saying he would be resigning. Stanton then suspended him from his office. Andrew Johnson had violated the Tenure of Office Act, which specifically prevented Andrew Johnson from doing what he did. The significance of this act is that it is part of the checks and balances system. Also, Andrew Johnson had violated The Tenure of Office Act which is significant because the congress tried to impeach him but because the act was too vague to be used as an impeachment trial, he was never removed from office. Primary: document of the Veto of Tenure of Office Secondary - More info on the Act Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson’s democratic views were what ultimately called the trial for his impeachment. Although he was democratic, he was also pro-Union, and was the vice president for Abraham Lincoln, despite his political views. He took office after Lincoln was assassinated. During the reconstruction, people had two ideas as to how the country should fix the damage that had been done in the south. One was to let the federal government help the states gain their footing again, and the other idea was to let the states take care of themselves. Johnson felt that the latter was more appropriate, and this was one of the first things that people did not like about him. A large dislike that people had for him was that he vetoed the Civil Rights Act, and the Freedmen’s Bureau Act. The Civil Rights Act was overridden, the first instance of the congress being successful in that. Because of his views, he would more likely win, due to the fact that anybody who opposed him, was either a minority of the political scale, or wan not able to vote, such as the African Americans. He was also accused of playing a part in Lincoln’s assassinations, and had other complaints. His final act that brought him to his impeachment trial was his violation of the Tenure Office Act. This act stated that if anybody were to be removed from their position by the executive, the senate must approve of this in order to suspend such person. After being tricked into signing a warrant which he would not have signed otherwise, he suspended Edwin Stanton. Even if the senate disapproved, Johnson still continued with the deed. Johnson was impeached in the end, in late Feburary of 1867. During the events that led up to his impeachment, congress had overridden his veto on the Civil Rights Act, which was the first account of the congress overriding any bill. This gave the congress new confidence that they could have a say in what the president decides, and confirms the system of checks and balances. The trial itself also helped people bring out their anger in a controlled environment. Because of the vast disapproval with Johnson, The people could have easily revolted, and brought out violence. When these emotions were brought to a court, things like this could not happen. Primary Source - Witness Testimony in the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson
1st Reconstruction Act On March 2, 1867, the First Reconstruction Act was passed by Congress after being vetoed by President Andrew Johnson. This Act divided all former Confederate states, with the exception of Tennessee, into five military districts. A Northern General would lead each district. The Act ordered for Southern States to elect new Delegates and to form a new State Constitution. Southerners who originally supported the Confederacy were temporarily banned from voting. The act also required states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment.
Five Military Districts the 1st Reconstruction Act established
The 1st Reconstruction Act was significant because it gave the Radical Republicans power to control equality while punishing Southerners for their prior behavior towards the Union. This act led to high tension between the President and Congress. The act was passed to enforce equality to all citizens. Most states passed the Act quickly, but did not follow the new laws after the Northerners left. Reenforcement did not come back after it was evident that the South was not following the new Act. This shows that the Congress did not follow through in enforcing these new laws. It also shows that the South did not respect the Norths decisions. This Raised tensions even higher between the South and Congress. The Blacks were now loosing faith in the Government to provide them with equality.
The 14th Amendment On June 13, 1866, The 14th amendment was passed by congress. This amendment to the constitution allowed all the former slaves of the United States to become full citizens of America. It stated that all former slaves were to be treated like everyone else in terms of laws and were allowed to live by the rules of the constitution. “Life, liberty, and property” are the basic rights that all citizens of the United States have, so now because of the 14th amendment, this includes all the former slaves. The second part of the 14th amendment states that a twenty-one year old man with a crime record can not vote for the president, vice-president, representative in congress, executive and judicial officers of state, or members of legislature. The third piece of the 14th amendment states that no person can run for any branch of the government if they have been apart of a rebellion or helped an enemy of the states. The fourth section of the 14th amendment states that a person with debts against a slave, as in claims for a lost slave or emancipation of any slave, are all void and illegal because the slaves are no longer property but free people. The fifth and final section of the 14th amendment declared if the 14th amendment was not passed by the southern states that they would never be allowed to live with out the military rule that the north had placed on them to keep them in check. The 14th amendment was ratified 757 days after it was passed by congress on July 9, 1868.
The significance of the 14th amendment is that this amendment told the people of the United States that not allowing other citizens their natural rights is a punishable act, and that rebelling against a group of citizens takes away chances for the of voting and hold office in the future of the person rebelling. This also told the former slaves that the government was aware of the poor treatment of blacks by the white people in the south and that the government was there to prortect them by passing laws and amendments that kept the whites in order to some degree. This amendment showed the points of view of the north and south. The weakness on the norths part was that once the southern states ratified the amendment, the former slaves would no longer have protection against their former owners and whites who did not want them to be free.
The 15th Amendment In 1868, Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in a landslide win. Throughout the nation, African Americans were facing a lot of discrimination when they went to vote; Some states even had their own “voter qualifications” that citizens had to meet in order to vote. In response to this, one of Grant’s first acts as president was creating the 15th Amendment. Three viewpoints dominated in the creation of the amendment. The Republicans, Democrats, and Conservatives opposed any idea of black suffrage. The Radicals, who believed that there should be male suffrage with no educational or property holding qualifications. Ultimatley, the group whose idea won over the rest, was the moderates. The moderates believed that there should be no racial qualification for voting, which became the main idea for the 15th amendment. The amendment officially states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Along with this, Congress determined that they could enforce this amendment by any means necessary, “The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislature.”
This amendment was significant because it gave the African American citizens a vote, because now states no longer had “voter qualifications". Although it took thirteen months for every state to accept, because of mainly southern states for example, Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas who did not support theammendment. This was also significant because these states were not allowed to enter Congress unless they adopted the amendment. Initially, the southern African Americans could not vote because of the way the southern states found loopholes around the amendment. The south responded to the amendment by implementing taxes, literacy tests, and the “grandfather clause”, which stated that if your grandfather had not voted, you were not allowed to vote. Along with the response of the southern government, violent attacks were focused on the black population. Most notably, attacks from the Klu Klux Klan, undermining the ultimate purpose of the 15th Amendment.
Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877:
The election of 1876 was a presidential election in the midst of reconstruction. Samuel J Tilden of New York was the candidate for the Democrats while Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio was the Republican candidate. Hayes won with 185 electoral votes, while Tilden won the popular vote by over 200,000 votes. but he only had 184 electoral votes, one short of the required 185 electoral college votes. Hayes became the new president of the United States. However, there was a compromise between the Democrats and Republicans, known as the compromise of 1877. There were 20 disputed electoral votes that all went to Hayes to put him in office. The Democrats agreed to accept the Republican presidential electors if the Republicans would agree to certain terms. These terms consisted of withdrawing federal soldiers from their remaining positions in the South, enacting federal legislation that would spur industrialization in the South, appointing democrats to patronage positions in the South and appointing a Democrat to the president’s cabinet.
The Significance of the compromise was that it was undocumented and secluded, and they came up with mutual agreements that were beneficial to both parties. Removing Northern soldiers from the Southern states ended the government's rule in the South and allowed them to rule themselves. The South would now have factories and other sources for income rather than just relying on agriculture. Appointing democrats to important positions in the South ensured that racists and Confederate radicals would not control the South. The addition of a democrat in the president’s cabinet assured there would be better Democratic and Republican balance in the government.
1863
Emancipation Proclamation:
Five days after the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln publicized the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that the abolition of slavery had become one of the North’s main goals. The proclamation was intended to preserve the union and also gave hope to all African Americans. Although the proclamation stated the Union’s goals, it did not emancipate the slaves and abolish slavery all together. Slavery was only forbidden in the Confederacy states, also known as the rebel states. Slavery was still permitted in the bordering states because Abraham Lincoln wanted to keep the boarder states in the Union. Some thought of the Emancipation Proclamation as a military tactic, working to the advantage of the union’s military by providing new African American troops and creating labor shortages in the confederacy.Lincoln could not proclaim the emancipation of slaves on a wider scale because he was afraid that it would cause greater conflict and ultimately not save the Union. Lincoln was afraid that if the reconstruction policy was too strict on the Confederacy, it would disunite the southern states and not preserve the Union. Although there was no way to enforce the emancipation proclamation in the Confederacy and only a few African Americans were directly freed, it was an important advancement towards the future abolition of slavery. It issued slaves in the South to rebel and run away, causing chaos within the Confederacy. This proclamation made the Civil War about slavery. As soon as the main issue of the Civil War was proclaimed slavery, England stopped helping the South because they did not want to be involved in the dispute over slavery between the Confederacy and Union. Abolitionists were upset that the proclamation did not completely emancipate the entire country and was made for the benefits of the military as opposed to moral values. Still, African Americans, including Frederick Douglass, celebrated in better hopes of their freedom. The Emancipation united the Republican party and increased the chances of war, but a war to transform the confederacy and ultimately strengthen the Union.
A secondary source on Abraham Lincoln and his approach to preserving the Union (Access from library)
Primary source: Frederick Douglas's Response to the Emancipation Proclamation (Access from library)
Lincoln's 10% Plan:
At the time of the Reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States. Lincoln devised the first policy of the Reconstruction in December 1863, which was called the 10% Percent Plan. This policy allowed the southern states, that had previously ceded from the Union, to come back into the Union. However, the conditions of the policy consisted of 1/10th of each southern state's voters had to take an oath of loyalty to remain a part of the Union. The policy also stated that once the state was readmitted, states had to reform their own governments. Secondly, states were required to abolish slavery.
The significance of Lincoln's 10% Plan was to bring the nation back together as a whole. Lincoln believed that this policy would quicken the process of reuniting the Union and put an end to the fighting between the northern and southern states. This also signified Lincoln's side on whether states or individuals had left the Union. According to this policy, Lincoln believed that it was the individuals. However, Lincoln's policy was rejected because of the Wade-Davis Bill, and Lincoln was assassinated before he could fight for his policy.
Primary Source: Lincoln's Reconstruction Speech
Secondary Source: Lincoln's 10% Plan
1864
Wade-Davis BillThe Wade-Davis Bill appeared when the Government started to think about the reconstruction. It was proposed by Senator Benjamin F.Wade and Representative Henry Winter Davis in February 1864,and what it basically sustained was that 50 percent of a state’s white male population took a loyalty oath to be readmitted to the Union. This bill also mentioned that every state had the obligation to give the african-americans right to participate in the elections since now on. The Wade-Davis bill passed Congress. Finally, this bill was going to be another big step towards the reconstruction and the equality between whites and african-americans, but President Lincoln rejected it with a pocket veto.
Wade-Davis Bill is important in the U.S history because the President called a veto on it. This act surprised Senator Wade, what generated on him furiousness and a feeling of disagreement. As hist orian Hans L. Trefousse wrote: “...these considerations did not mollify Wade. Together with his associates, he considered the President's action an affront.” and some states started to think that Lincoln’s act was made for his personal ambition, but indeed, Wade-Davis Bill was one of the most radical and bold purposes ever passed through Congress.
The Wade-Davis Bill’s introduction
"Wade-Davis Bill" as a primary source, written by Senator Benjamin F. Wade and Representative Henry Winter Davis
1865
Lincoln's Assassination:On April 14, 1865, just five days after the surrender of the Confederate's leading commander, Robert E. Lee, President Abraham Lincoln was shot. A known Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, shot Lincoln as he was watching a play with his wife.. Lincoln's death had a deep and profound effect on the North, and more importantly the country as a whole. He had been the first President to ever be assassinated while in office. Nine hours after the shooting, at 7:22 A.M, on April 15, the President succumbed to his injuries and died. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was shot to death by federal authorities after they found him hiding out in a barn, in Bowling Green, Virginia.
The North was devastated that their distinguished and battle tested leader had fallen, when peace was near. Their joy culminating from the end of the war was soon eclipsed by the devastating news that swept the county. Southerners, contrary to belief, also took part in the mourning. Although some still despised Lincoln for his vision and views on race, many saw Lincoln as one of the most compassionate and fair leaders the North had to offer. His death was not only a blow to both the North and South but also to the Reconstruction process as a whole. His death also affected the newly freed slaves who viewed Lincoln as a savior. He was the person who had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively freeing them. Four days after Lincoln's death, the only substantial Confederate force remaining, under the command of Joseph E. Johnston, surrendered. The union was saved, at the expense of their leader who would go on to be considered one of the greatest presidents to ever hold office.
Obituary of Lincoln
Overview of Event
The Freedmen's Bureau:
The Freedmen’s Bureau is also known as The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. The Bureau was established in the War Department by the outcome of an act on March, 3, 1865 and lasted until 1872. The Bureau was able to help over 4,000,000 freed slaves make the transition from slavery to the life of a free man. The bureau had two main goals. The first main goal was to supervise all relief and educational activities relating to the refugees and freedmen. This included issuing rations, clothing and medicine for the refugees and former slaves. The Freedmen’s Bureau also took custody of impounded lands or property in the former Confederate states, Border States, District of Columbia, and Indian Territory. The records were kept track by the Bureau headquarters and assistant commissioners. The state superintendants of education kept personal records and multiple reports concerning the Bureau programs and conditions in the states.
The Freedmen’s Bureau was especially important to the reconstruction of the United States post Civil War because it gave the freed slave and refugees a source of education provided by the federal government. The first African American school systems were also set up by the Freedmen’s Bureau. Education is a major step in creating equality between the white people and the black people in the United States during this time period. Also, the programs were centered towards ex slaves, African Americans, and Southern white refugees, which created hope for the recently freedmen. The Freedmen’s Bureau was terminated seven years after its launch in 1865 because Congress was receiving pressure from the white Southerners. Although the Blacks had equal rights, they were still being treated with disrespect. By terminating the Freedmen's Bureau just seven years after it was created showed the lack of dedication and commitment that they had toward reconstruction in the South. It showed that they initially wanted to help the freedmen, but after seven years the government decidied it was costing them too much money.
The Freedmen's Bureau
Document 1
The 13th Amendment
On January 31, 1865 the 13th amendment was proposed after it had been ratified by all the northern states and eight of the eleven southern states. The 13th amendment was the amendment to the United States Constitution that banned slavery within the states. The only exception for this amendment was that if a person was convicted of a crime by a judge and jury, they were allowed to be punished with slavery or involuntary servitude. The 13th amendment was ratified 309 days after it was passed by congress on December 6, 1865.
The 13th amendment was passed after the end of the Civil War to finalize the idea that the United States of America would be slave free. Every man, no matter their color, would be able to live a free life and not have to worry about being controlled by a man who, because of his color, thought that he was better than another.
A Primary Source: The 13th Amendment in the Constitution of America
A Secondary Source: The Ratification of The 13th Amendment
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Scalawags and Carpetbaggers were white men who supported the federal reconstruction. A scalawag was a derogatory saying towards the white southerners that supported the reconstruction and cooperated with blacks to reach the goal. Some of the scalawags were people that opposed the confederacy in the first place. A carpetbagger was a person from the north that moved south during the reconstruction so that they could make money. The carpetbaggers controlled the governments in the south. The name carpetbagger comes from the cloth bag that a lot of them carried their stuff in. both scalawags and carpetbaggers were hated by a lot of the south and became targets of the Ku Klux Klan.
Scalawags and carpetbaggers made the south even more hostile than it already was. People from the south felt betrayed by the scalawags and felt like they did not know what it meant to be from the south. The carpetbaggers were looked at like they were intruding on the south and trying to take control even though they were from the north. Both groups were hated in the south.
background on scalawags and carpetbaggers
primary source
Black Codes
The Black Codes were laws unofficially enforced in the United States that limited African Americans to basic rights and liberties. The Black Codes refer mainly to the rules passed by the Southern states at the end of The Civil War to watch over the labor, migration and everything else the newly freed slaves were doing. One of the codes the Southerners created was The Penal Code of 1856. This stated that all individuals with one eighth or more African blood were then defined as a person of color. The Black Codes essentially were re-establishing the laws that were in place before the Civil War.
The Black Codes main purpose was to re-enforce the slaves original inferior position and also regulate the blacks labor all over the South. The Black Codes clearly showed that Southerners were completely unwilling to accept blacks with the same equal rights as themselves. Southerners also feared the newly freed slaves wouldn't work for them unless they were pressured in doing so. This shows that even after the Civil War, Southerners were not willing to accept African Americans as free men.
Secondary Source-Black Codes
Primary Source-Runaway Poster
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan was an extreme threat to Southern Republic regimes during 1868 to 1872. The Ku Klux Klan, also referred to as the “KKK”, was a secret society created to revitalize the belief of white supremacy. Members of the Ku Klux Klan were driven by motives to threaten all blacks who intended on voicing their political creeds. The Ku Klux Klan not only verbally alarmed black men who took any initiative in voting, but they physically abused them, in which some instances were fatal. The KKK served to attenuate the authority of the Republican Party. Members of the Ku Klux Klan were coerced by other social classes of white race. From 1865 to 1877, also known as the era of reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan, a pro-segregation society, targeted other colors of the human race with violence. The era of reconstruction focused mainly on uniting the country, and putting an end to segregation. The Ku Klux Klan was against this act of reconfiguration.
After the civil war and during the reconstruction of the south, members of the Ku Klux Klan united in order to refurbish white supremacy, and to enhance the authority of the Democratic Party. The significance of the Ku Klux Klan was to impose violence upon other colors of the human race in order to subvert their political and social advancement. Members of the KKK coveted to sustain the credence of white supremacy. The Ku Klux Klan caused thousands of casualties during the era of reconstruction, and in result succeeded in undermining the values and beliefs of the black race.
Information on Ku Klux Klan (secondary source)
Boy Beaten by KKK (Primary source)
1866
Civil Rights ActCongress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on April 9th, 1866, over the veto of President Andrew Johnson. The Civil Rights Act stated that all people that were born into the United States were now citizens of the country. Disregarding their race, color, or what social class they were in before. This Civil Rights Act is intended to show equality between the blacks and the whites. Now that the blacks are citizens of the United States, they have federal privileges such as the right to sue someone or be sued, buy and sell their own property, inherit money or personal items, and give evidence in court. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 wanted to make sure that the people, regardless of race, color, or background, were all treated equally. If people of the United States denied and ignored these rights to former slaves, they would be placed upon conviction, fined for at most 1,000 dollars, and be placed in prison for no longer than a year. Some whites thought that this was a bad idea. The Ku Klux Klan was completely against the Civil Rights Act of 1866 because they had no intention of helping and supporting black rights.
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 didn’t help the years of reconstruction for the United States. This act made the anti-blacks more frustrated than before because now the blacks actually had a say in what could happen in the government. The Civil Rights movement divided the blacks and whites even more than before, the opposite of it's intention. The whites wanted nothing to do with the blacks because the government was trying to make them just as equal as the whites, by giving them as many rights as the white man has. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave the blacks more power which caused the whites to fear that the blacks would be able to take over or even have more power than the whites.
Primary Source on What the Civil Rights Act of 1866 Was
Secondary Source on the Significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1866
1867
Tenure of Office Act
The Tenure of Office Act was passed by congress and was specifically guided to control President Andrew Johnson. This act helped to control him because it would not let him terminate the positions of the officeholders, thus replacing them with ones that he supported. This act was when the president of the United States was not able to fire anyone from their position without the approval from the Senate. The act did not allow the president to suspend an official when the senate was not in session. However, when the Senate came back in session and disagreed with the decision the president has made then the official was put back in their position. The Tenure of Office Act Bill was introduced by George Williams of Oregon on December 3, 1866 to the senate. This was passed over the veto of President Andrew Johnson on March 2, 1867. Andrew Johnson believed that this act was unconstitutional, saying that U.S. Constitution states that the president holds the power to terminate any official of their position without the consent of the Senate. There was some confusion as to whether this act applied to cabinet officials that were appointed by a previous president. It was then proposed by Senator John Sherman of Ohio that cabinet members were to hold office during the term of the president who appointed them. Cabinet members were given an extra month and were to be removed only by the consent of the Senate. Andrew Johnson, the vice president who took over Lincoln’s position after he was assassinated, decided that Edwin Stanton needed to be replaced as the secretary of war in 1867. Edwin Stanton refused to sign the letter that Johnson had sent him saying he would be resigning. Stanton then suspended him from his office. Andrew Johnson had violated the Tenure of Office Act, which specifically prevented Andrew Johnson from doing what he did.
The significance of this act is that it is part of the checks and balances system. Also, Andrew Johnson had violated The Tenure of Office Act which is significant because the congress tried to impeach him but because the act was too vague to be used as an impeachment trial, he was never removed from office.
Primary: document of the Veto of Tenure of Office
Secondary - More info on the Act
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson’s democratic views were what ultimately called the trial for his impeachment. Although he was democratic, he was also pro-Union, and was the vice president for Abraham Lincoln, despite his political views. He took office after Lincoln was assassinated. During the reconstruction, people had two ideas as to how the country should fix the damage that had been done in the south. One was to let the federal government help the states gain their footing again, and the other idea was to let the states take care of themselves. Johnson felt that the latter was more appropriate, and this was one of the first things that people did not like about him. A large dislike that people had for him was that he vetoed the Civil Rights Act, and the Freedmen’s Bureau Act. The Civil Rights Act was overridden, the first instance of the congress being successful in that. Because of his views, he would more likely win, due to the fact that anybody who opposed him, was either a minority of the political scale, or wan not able to vote, such as the African Americans. He was also accused of playing a part in Lincoln’s assassinations, and had other complaints.
His final act that brought him to his impeachment trial was his violation of the Tenure Office Act. This act stated that if anybody were to be removed from their position by the executive, the senate must approve of this in order to suspend such person. After being tricked into signing a warrant which he would not have signed otherwise, he suspended Edwin Stanton. Even if the senate disapproved, Johnson still continued with the deed. Johnson was impeached in the end, in late Feburary of 1867.
During the events that led up to his impeachment, congress had overridden his veto on the Civil Rights Act, which was the first account of the congress overriding any bill. This gave the congress new confidence that they could have a say in what the president decides, and confirms the system of checks and balances. The trial itself also helped people bring out their anger in a controlled environment. Because of the vast disapproval with Johnson, The people could have easily revolted, and brought out violence. When these emotions were brought to a court, things like this could not happen.
Primary Source - Witness Testimony in the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson
Secondary Source - Intro to the Impeachment, by Douglas O. Linder
1st Reconstruction Act
On March 2, 1867, the First Reconstruction Act was passed by Congress after being vetoed by President Andrew Johnson. This Act divided all former Confederate states, with the exception of Tennessee, into five military districts. A Northern General would lead each district. The Act ordered for Southern States to elect new Delegates and to form a new State Constitution. Southerners who originally supported the Confederacy were temporarily banned from voting. The act also required states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment.
The 1st Reconstruction Act was significant because it gave the Radical Republicans power to control equality while punishing Southerners for their prior behavior towards the Union. This act led to high tension between the President and Congress. The act was passed to enforce equality to all citizens. Most states passed the Act quickly, but did not follow the new laws after the Northerners left. Reenforcement did not come back after it was evident that the South was not following the new Act. This shows that the Congress did not follow through in enforcing these new laws. It also shows that the South did not respect the Norths decisions. This Raised tensions even higher between the South and Congress. The Blacks were now loosing faith in the Government to provide them with equality.
Helpful links:
Primary source- reconstruction act. official document
Secondary source- summary
1868
The 14th AmendmentOn June 13, 1866, The 14th amendment was passed by congress. This amendment to the constitution allowed all the former slaves of the United States to become full citizens of America. It stated that all former slaves were to be treated like everyone else in terms of laws and were allowed to live by the rules of the constitution. “Life, liberty, and property” are the basic rights that all citizens of the United States have, so now because of the 14th amendment, this includes all the former slaves. The second part of the 14th amendment states that a twenty-one year old man with a crime record can not vote for the president, vice-president, representative in congress, executive and judicial officers of state, or members of legislature. The third piece of the 14th amendment states that no person can run for any branch of the government if they have been apart of a rebellion or helped an enemy of the states. The fourth section of the 14th amendment states that a person with debts against a slave, as in claims for a lost slave or emancipation of any slave, are all void and illegal because the slaves are no longer property but free people. The fifth and final section of the 14th amendment declared if the 14th amendment was not passed by the southern states that they would never be allowed to live with out the military rule that the north had placed on them to keep them in check. The 14th amendment was ratified 757 days after it was passed by congress on July 9, 1868.
The significance of the 14th amendment is that this amendment told the people of the United States that not allowing other citizens their natural rights is a punishable act, and that rebelling against a group of citizens takes away chances for the of voting and hold office in the future of the person rebelling. This also told the former slaves that the government was aware of the poor treatment of blacks by the white people in the south and that the government was there to prortect them by passing laws and amendments that kept the whites in order to some degree. This amendment showed the points of view of the north and south. The weakness on the norths part was that once the southern states ratified the amendment, the former slaves would no longer have protection against their former owners and whites who did not want them to be free.
A Primary Source: The 14th Amendment in The United States Constitution
A Secondary Source: The Ratification of The 14th Amendment
1870
The 15th AmendmentIn 1868, Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in a landslide win. Throughout the nation, African Americans were facing a lot of discrimination when they went to vote; Some states even had their own “voter qualifications” that citizens had to meet in order to vote. In response to this, one of Grant’s first acts as president was creating the 15th Amendment. Three viewpoints dominated in the creation of the amendment. The Republicans, Democrats, and Conservatives opposed any idea of black suffrage. The Radicals, who believed that there should be male suffrage with no educational or property holding qualifications. Ultimatley, the group whose idea won over the rest, was the moderates. The moderates believed that there should be no racial qualification for voting, which became the main idea for the 15th amendment. The amendment officially states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Along with this, Congress determined that they could enforce this amendment by any means necessary, “The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislature.”
This amendment was significant because it gave the African American citizens a vote, because now states no longer had “voter qualifications". Although it took thirteen months for every state to accept, because of mainly southern states for example, Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas who did not support theammendment. This was also significant because these states were not allowed to enter Congress unless they adopted the amendment. Initially, the southern African Americans could not vote because of the way the southern states found loopholes around the amendment. The south responded to the amendment by implementing taxes, literacy tests, and the “grandfather clause”, which stated that if your grandfather had not voted, you were not allowed to vote. Along with the response of the southern government, violent attacks were focused on the black population. Most notably, attacks from the Klu Klux Klan, undermining the ultimate purpose of the 15th Amendment.
Here is a link to the 15th Amendment
This is a summary of the Amendment, plus some background information
1876 and 1877
Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877:The election of 1876 was a presidential election in the midst of reconstruction. Samuel J Tilden of New York was the candidate for the Democrats while Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio was the Republican candidate. Hayes won with 185 electoral votes, while Tilden won the popular vote by over 200,000 votes. but he only had 184 electoral votes, one short of the required 185 electoral college votes. Hayes became the new president of the United States. However, there was a compromise between the Democrats and Republicans, known as the compromise of 1877. There were 20 disputed electoral votes that all went to Hayes to put him in office. The Democrats agreed to accept the Republican presidential electors if the Republicans would agree to certain terms. These terms consisted of withdrawing federal soldiers from their remaining positions in the South, enacting federal legislation that would spur industrialization in the South, appointing democrats to patronage positions in the South and appointing a Democrat to the president’s cabinet.
The Significance of the compromise was that it was undocumented and secluded, and they came up with mutual agreements that were beneficial to both parties. Removing Northern soldiers from the Southern states ended the government's rule in the South and allowed them to rule themselves. The South would now have factories and other sources for income rather than just relying on agriculture. Appointing democrats to important positions in the South ensured that racists and Confederate radicals would not control the South. The addition of a democrat in the president’s cabinet assured there would be better Democratic and Republican balance in the government.
Overview of the Election of 1876
Chart of the Election of 1876